Page 216 of The Pucking Coach's Daughter

They got me away from Bear and his brother. They saved me. I have the vaguest memory of Carter picking me up, too. The painful pinch of something around my upper leg.

Did they call my dad?

I reach for them. Both hands. My muscles ache, and even that seems to take all my remaining effort. I’m going under again. They each take one, their hands warm and dry against my freezing fingers.

My vision dims, then darkens completely. My eyes close…

I don’t know where I go.

Away.

sixty-seven

oliver

“Take it easy.”

My words earn a glare from Sydney and her father. Calling him, telling him that his baby girl was in the hospital, was the worst phone call I could make. I almost pawned the job off on the nurse who’s been in and out of Sydney’s ICU room quite a bit.

Actually, calling it a room is laughable. They don’t have rooms with doors in the intensive care unit—there are just partitions and an army of nurses and doctors ready to save lives. Which they do, on this unit. Constantly.

After two days, her doctors move her to a regular room for more observation. They ran countless tests, making sure the electrocution didn’t fuck with her heart or any other number of organs. Since I couldn’t say how many times or how long she was in contact with the car battery, they wanted to be on the safe side. Coupled with the potential for hypothermia?—

It’s been a long week, but she was finally given a clean bill of health.

The police came in and questioned her about her injuries, while I held my breath and Coach held her hand. But surprisingly, she said she didn’t remember anything. Couldn’t remember where, who, why…

A mugging, she mused.

My brilliant girl.

Not really mine.

Now, her dad and I are hovering as she climbs into the car.

When I do the same, sliding in behind her, I feel why they were glaring—it hurts me almost as much as it does her. So I guess I can eat my words about taking it easy.

We go to her apartment first.

The place has been transformed. My parents are still there, and they kiss me on the cheek when we walk in. Fixing it up from how Bear and his brother left it was truly a miracle enacted by my family. One call to my dad, and suddenly uncles and cousins showed up in arms. When it wasn’t my turn to keep Sydney company at the hospital, I was here.

Or at the warehouse.

I watch her take it in. Her hand covers her mouth, although it doesn’t really hide the way her chin wobbles. She goes over and hugs my mom. Then my dad. And finally, gingerly, she sinks into my embrace.

“Thank you,” she whispers to me.

I can’t keep the smile from my face. For this little slice of happiness before I pull her back, inevitably, into the darkness.

My parents leave. Her father hovers for a while, then he, too, retreats.

Penn arrives shortly after that. Sydney visibly stiffens from her position on the couch, where she’s curled her legs up under her and pulled a blanket up to her chin. I move away, mumbling something about getting her water, and leave them alone.

Alone-ish. It’s all open concept, not really any way to give them privacy unless I go lock myself in the bathroom or her room. Both things I’m not going to do.

“Can I…” Penn gestures to the couch.

I snort, and he glares at me.